Excavating-machine.



H. WALTERS Sz N.IBUMPUS.

vEXC.MTATIIG MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MR. 24, 1910.

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EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLIATIN FILED MAR. 24, 1910.

983,959.1 v e Patented Feb.14, 1911.

UNITED 'y sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

HIRAM WALTERS AND NATHAN BUMPUS, OF CURTIE, OHIO.

EXCAVATING-MACHINE.

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Specication of Letters Patent.

Pateneedreb. 14, 1911.

Application filed March 24, 1910. Serial No. 551,324.v

. following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingVdrawings, and t0 the figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to ditching or trench excavating machines of thetype employing a. rotary excavating wheel and adapted for the digging ofeither open ditches or those for receiving ldrainage tile or the like;

The object of our invention is to improve upon the bucket'v constructionof the excavator wheels to facilitate a cleaning of the saine, and,`also to provide simple and etti cient means for coacting with thebuckets to thoroughly clean the same of contained matter atVapredetermined point in each rotation of the wheel whereby to enhancethe practicability .and commercial value of machines of this class. y

y Theinvention is fully described in the following specification, andWhile the same in its broader aspect is capable of embodiment innumerous forms',`a preferred Yem-4 bodiment thereof is illustrated in'thel accom Figure' 1 is al side elevation'of the portion ofa machineembodying our invention with portions broken away. Fig.' 2 is acrosssection of the same on the line c :cin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the rim of the'excavating wheel, and Fig.' 4 is an enlargedy cross-section of such rimp `port-ion taken on aline y y in Fig. 1;v

frame. The4 excavating wheel is shown as.

comprising the laterally spaced ring members 4, 4 towhich .the edges ofthe excavating buckets 5 are secured as indicated. A

cutter 6 of the same-transverse 'shape as the buckets 5 also connectsthe two members 4 in.

advance of each bucket'to form the cutting nose therefor.

G designates cutting fingers which project outwardly in radialdirections from each member 4'between the buckets and are preferablybowed outwardly beyond the side lines of the buckets to effect atrimming of the side walls of the trench being. dug.

The rings 4, 4 are provided adjacent their inner edges at the outersides thereof with annular sets of internal gear teeth 7 with which'thepinions 8, carried in registering position by a drive-shaft 9, mesh.This 'shaftis ,journaled in suitable bearings 10 carried by the framepart 2 adjacent one side portion of the wheel and is driven in anysuitable `manner. Three idler-rolls 11 are associated with each side ofthe wheel in radial register with the gear teeth 7 against the innersides of which they bear and are' arranged in rectangular relation withthe associated pinion 8 to cooperate therewith to carry the wheel forrotary movements, as is apparent'by reference to the drawings. The upperrolls 11, or those horizontally opposed to the pinions 8, are carried bya shaft 12, mounted in bearingsl on thefratne parts 2, while the lowerrolls 11 are mounted on Vshafts 14 carried by the pendent bearing lparts 15 which are secured' to the underside of the frame part 2.

' One of the features of our-1nvention consists in closing the rear endsof the buckets with hinged gates or end parts 16, which are hinged .tothe outer end edges ofthe buckets, as at 17, andare extended `inwardlyto adjacent the inner-edges ofthe ring members 4,

as shown. These gates have'ngers 18 p-'rojecting-.from their pivotedends rearwardly from the ends of the associated buckets and adapted tocoact with a segmental plate or. band 19 at the rear of the wheel topositively maintain the gates 'closed during the de-V scending movementsof thebuckets, and with 4a similar plate or band 20 at the front of theWheel to retain the gates closed on the ascending movements of thebuckets, such platesl being arranged in contiguous posiy tion totheperiphery of the wheel and con-v centric thereto. During the upwardexcafvating movements of the bucketsv through the earth the fingers 18act on thel earth to retainthe gates closed.` -The rear plate 19 isshown as being carried by the frame part 4 21 carried by the part 2,while the front and braced at its up tending upwardly om the part'2. An

plate is secured to the frame parts 1 and 2 i110.

r end byrods 22 eX- open spaceyis provided between the 'upper ends ofthe plates 19' and 2O to permit an opening of the gates 16 to facilitatea dump-l ing and cleaning of the buckets. The con'- tents of the bucketswhen discharged therefrom drops upon a subjacent endless conveyer apron23, which is actuated in any suitable manner to deliver the dirt andother excavated matter to one side of the trench. To prevent an inwarddropping of the diggings from the buckets between the rings 4 whileascending to discharging posil, tion, a segmental plate 24 is'secured tothe frame work within the wheel in close rela tion to the forwardportion thereof to close the opening at such point between the inneredges of the rings 4.V

A cleaning of each vbucket is eidected at vthe dumping point by acleaner-spoon or blade 25, which is carried at the` upper end of a rod26 -and projects upwardly between the rings 4 and within the-buckets asthey pass thereover, beinev of suitable width and shape to -transverseyfill the same. The spoon 25 inclines or Acurves forwardly to adapt itsnose -or outer end to cut through the contents of a bucket in slidingcontact with the outer portion of the bucket. The Arod 26 which. carriesthe spoon 25 extends downwardly between the frame parts dis- -posed onlopposite* sides of the excavating wheel, 'being pivoted between theframe parts 2, 2 as at 27,- and having its lower end,

vwhich projects below such pivot, attached to a contraction-spring 28,which is anchored -to the bearing part 15, The spring28 acts onl the rod26 to retain the nose of the spoon 251v in yielding contact with theouter portionsof 'the buckets as the spoon passes therethrough. Theoutwardmovement of the spoon ,is limited by the coaction of the rod 26with a set-screw l29' to prevent the 'nose of the spoon from strikingthe forward edges of the cutting noses 6 of thel buckets when enteringthe buckets.

On the passing of a bucket lover the con-- veyer 23 its gate 16 islpartially opened due to the lower or inner edge thereof striking a tripfinger 60, which rises from the upper end of the plate" 24 in the pathof'. movement of the inner portions of the bucket gate, andthe gate isthen opened toits full extent by contact with the spoon end. The

' finger 30 is of knife-like form to adapt .it'

to cut through and not obstruct the passage of the matter contained inthe buckets. It is thus apparent that we have provided esaese simple,ellicient and inexpensive means for `Having thusl described ourlinvent-ion, Y

what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s,-

1. In an excavating machine, the combination with a rotary excavatingwheel have ing a series lof inwardly opening peripherally arrangedbuckets, of a gate hinged to the rear end of each bucket at its outeredge and adapted to have its opening and closing movements in the planeof rotation of the wheel, a Wing projecting at an angle from the hingedend o-each gate and. adapted to project substantially radially from thewheel when the attached gate is open and 'to project rearwardly from theassociated bucket in substantially the arc of movement of its outerperipheral edge when .the gate is closed, and means encircling port-ionsot the wheel and coperating with the bottom of 'a trench being dug toact on each gate.

wing to prevent 11n-opening thereof except at a predetermined pointinits revolution.

2. Inan excavating machine, the combination with a rotary excavatingwheel' 'having a series of inwardly opening peripherally arrangedbuckets, of a gate hinged to the outer rear edge of each bucket andhaving its opening movements in the plane of,-

rotation of the wheel, a wing projecting rearwardly from the hinged endof each gate when in closed position, and members encircling the forwardand rear peripheral portions of the wheel and cooperating with thebottom of a trench being dug to act on each of said wings vto retaintheir respective gates closed except when at a predetermined point in arevolution thereof.

Inytestimony whereof we have hereunto signed our ,names to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HIRAM WALTERS. NATHAN BUMPUS.

Witnesses: GEo. A. BUMPUS,

N'. C. MILLER.

